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Press Release

Convicted Felon Sentenced to 147 Months in Prison for Armed Carjacking

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Savario Beshawn Champion, 29, of Pensacola, was sentenced this week to 147 months in prison after pleading guilty on December 5, 2017, to carjacking, possessing a firearm during a violent crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In July 2017, two men from Georgia were carjacked by Mr. Champion at gunpoint at a local hotel in Escambia County.  Mr. Champion approached the two men pointing a black 9 millimeter pistol at the vehicle owner.  He told the men to get out of the BMW and to give him their money and phones.  The men got out of the vehicle, ran to the hotel, and called the police.

Later that morning, a Pensacola Police Department officer arrested Mr. Champion in Pensacola.  At the time of the arrest, Mr. Champion was in possession of the stolen vehicle and a firearm. 

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Pensacola Police Department; and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Contact

For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
amy.alexander@usdoj.gov

Updated February 23, 2018

Topics
Firearms Offenses
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Violent Crime